the thoughts of and about round friends
by afterreign
Summary: 10. Shadow Kirby thinks about the color pink. — Shadow Kirby-centric / A drabble collection about Kirby's friends, foes, and the round boy himself! (Each drabble is a total of 100 words.)
1. the everywhere of pink

**Hello! I started this to get back in the groove of writing. Hope you enjoy!**

**Full title: ****the thoughts of and about round friends and other miscellaneous characters along the way**

**Cover art by askkaabii! Link to it is on my profile. Please check it out!**

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Pink.

Kirby doesn't think much of it—after all, everyone knows Kirby is too preoccupied with devouring any treats in his path—but the color itself is sprinkled across the galaxy.

Pink dyes itself in floaty petals, in sugary sweets. It's the wet paint Adeleine streaks across canvases and the pastel shade that colors Rick's button nose. There's pink in Ribbon and Susie's hair too, but they're _different_, Kirby knows that much—one a hue away from coral and the other brighter, neon-like.

Kirby looks at himself and smiles.

Of course, how can anyone forget the pink of him too?

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**Thank you to FiniteXS and WitchJuliana for betaing! They have works here, so check them out!**


	2. of a matter most light

**Chapter Summary: For each thought Gooey has, he has twice the number of feelings.**

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Gooey has looked at Dark Matter once, twice, and yet the blue blob still doesn't know what to think of him.

But Gooey isn't much of a thinker anyway, and no one expects him to be. What they do expect is blueness, a pair of googly eyes, a silly smile. Gooey is an ally in battle, a _friend_ to a star warrior despite being the lost fragment of a foe so sinister that even Planet Popstar quakes at his presence.

So no, Gooey isn't really a thinker. What matters most is what he feels.

And Gooey has always felt whole.

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**The title is based off of a line from Hyness's speech except he says, "[O]f a matter most dark..." instead.**

**Check out the works of FiniteXS and WitchJuliana. They betaed this, so shout out to them!**

**See you next time, everyone!**


	3. for the last time, i became the wind

**Chapter Summary: A lonely, freeing metamorphosis.**

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For a moment, they are wind.

They're where the sun shines and the shadows loom. That spring breeze.

They're a butterfly for longer, though. Kirby beams at the sight of them, amazed by the creature they've become but ignorant of the wind that watched him longer. When the pink boy slumbers, they stay. When he wakes, they fly.

Metamorphosing into a knight is something else entirely. Having engulfed the Temporal Warrior, they know they're on borrowed time. Yet when they swing their sword, they burn. For more. For forever.

But as soft as a song, they are wind yet again.

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**The title is based off of a lyric from Kikuo's "Don't Look At Me in That Way." The lyric is "****For the first time, I became the wind, and my heart was broken by the wind..." The song is quite graphic and deals with heavy themes, so proceed with caution if you wish to take a listen.**

**I know technically the butterfly doesn't become wind after the defeat, but the feeling of losing is akin to that sort of sensation of air passing through you, as if you're nothing. The butterfly is really interesting, and I hope we get to see them in the next game.**

**See you next time, space cowboys!**


	4. the apple juice doesn't fall far

**Chapter Summary: Bandana Dee makes a decision, or maybe, fear does it for him.**

**Full Title: the apple juice doesn't fall far from the apple**

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Fear is something Bandana Dee knows well.

It's in every step he takes, every instance where a foe towers over him. It's what fuels each thrust of his spear, the weapon a manifestation of his anxiety spiking to its peak.

And yet, he fights.

Sometimes, he forgets why. He's no hero. He's no gallant knight or powerful king or star warrior. He's a Waddle Dee. A common creature. A dime a dozen.

But then again, he knows better. That one's role doesn't determine who's a hero. That fear doesn't dissuade bravery.

So what other choice is there but to fight?

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**The title is inspired by Bandana Dee's character song "The Apple Juice Song" by Miho Tsujibayashi. The song is about Bandana Dee drinking apple juice to get stronger and that he's determined to not lose to Kirby. It's a fun song, but there's the contrast with Bandana Dee's slightly cowardly character in Battle Royale which I found interesting.**

**See you next time, amoebas!**


	5. if i have a heart, is it aching?

**Chapter Summary: Susie feels an emotion or two.**

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When Susie brushes past Meta Knight, he flinches.

It's curious. That time of Mecha Knight was fleeting, yet that anger which sizzles but never explodes remains.

A truth: Susie wants to mechanize him again.

Another truth: When Susie sees that look he gives, she can't.

How can one be furious at something that flashed in the blink of an eye? If anything, _Susie_ should be angry. She's the one who was stranded in Another Dimension, who faced her father that failed to recognize her.

Years she endured, yet that righteous fury isn't there.

Envious, Susie gazes at the knight.

How?

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**The title is based off of a lyric from SAKIMA's "Death Is In The Air." The lyric is "****Is my heart breaking, / ****Or do I have one at all?****" The song is definitely pessimistic, but it's a good listen.**

**I think what made Planet Robobot fun for me is Susie's character. She's definitely one of my favorite antagonists, and it helps that she has a cute design to boot!**

**If you guys like my writing itself, please check out my fanfiction "****hatsune miku vs. the world & knuckles: the electric boogaloo™" on AO3. It's a story that leans towards humor and romance. I'll be updating it later tonight.**

**See you next time, Shiver Star residents!**


	6. the ghost on the wall, on your hands

**Chapter Summary: Despite a lack of supernatural beliefs, Taranza is haunted.**

**Full Title: the ghost on the wall, on the ceiling, on your hands**

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There's a phantom that lingers every now and then.

It's not a ghost in the traditional sense—not a pale-faced, blanket wearing specter—yet it haunts Taranza all the same.

He can't see it. Perhaps it's better he doesn't, but what's worse than sight is touch—and Taranza feels its presence everywhere he wanders.

In every empty hand. In the moments his eyes are mesmerized by flowers in bloom. In the way his mouth curves to whisper a name so lovely but so, so sad.

And Taranza has to wonder if the ghost is his queen's or simply his own.

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**The title is loosely based off of a lyric from Catie Turner's "Prom Queen." The lyric is "It's a terrible feeling being the ghost on the wall / That's always disappearing.****" It's a slow, sad song that I feel has a lot of emotion packed into it.**

**Again, if you guys like my writing itself, please check out my fanfiction "****hatsune miku vs. the world & knuckles: the electric boogaloo™" on AO3. It's a story that's (hopefully) funny and chaotic.**

**See you next time, People of the Sky!**


	7. virtues are crawling on your back

**Chapter Summary: ****A king knows a thing or two about power. Supposedly.**

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King Dedede knows power.

Don't get familiarity mistaken with desire, though. The penguin's no longer a power-hungry cretin, but he's held power,_ felt_ it within arm's reach. When he barks out orders, Waddle Dees assemble before him. When he slams his hammer, the collective stills.

King Dedede knows power until he doesn't.

Until Kirby. Until the king is scattering fragments of the Star Rod. Until he's teaming up with the pink powerhouse again and again, playing _hero_ of all things—not for the fame or fortune, but to do good. Be good.

For the first time, King Dedede knows power.

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**The title is based off of some flavor text from UNDERTALE. The quote is "You feel your sins crawling on your back.****" It's definitely not my most favorite title, but it fits enough.**

**UNDERTALE is an interesting game, but I honestly prefer the characters of DELTARUNE... Oh, and ASGORE is my favorite song for reasons that may deal with Sans. And Komaeda. And Kanye West. But who knows why?**

**See you next time, royalty!**


	8. in answers, there is strength

**Chapter Summary: ****If this was a test, Meta Knight would circle the only fitting option: d) all of the above.**

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What is strength?

Naively, Meta Knight thinks it's Galaxia. It's powerful, electric. When he slashes through foes, he can't tell where he begins and the blade ends.

Yet is strength not the bonds he shares? The Halberd crew has always been devoted, having willingly sunk deep into the Orange Ocean's frothy waves. It'd be insulting to deny how their presence empowers his very being.

And when Dream Land's skies are dreary, he finds strength not in battle but in brew. In a dark roast to warm up darker nights.

Just who knew that a question could have so many answers?

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**The title is based off of the saying, "In numbers, there is strength." I was... really running out of title ideas, but I always did want to do a drabble about a question with multiple answers.**

**In reference to the "dark roast" line... Meta Knight has been known to drink coffee from promotional images and merchandise. It's been a running pattern for a while, and even if it's not in the game, I think it should be included here. I wonder what kind of coffee he drinks?**

**I'm writing a drabble that fits in this collection, but it crosses over with Smash. Do you guys think I can still post that as a chapter here? I don't really want to upload it as something separate since it still has Kirby. Hm...**

**See you next time, knights!**


	9. and i'm feeling good

**Chapter Summary: Unexpectedly, Magolor feels validated.**

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When Magolor takes the crown from the unassuming pink fiend, he expects a wave of power. For the strength of a thousand men to surge through his veins. For his heart to beat at a dangerous, uneven staccato. For a deafening roar to fill the hollow space of his ear canals, warning the deceitful Halcrandran that he's about to wrong every right Kirby and his goons have committed throughout their one-sided voyage.

What he isn't expecting is a gentle whisper, lulling his every insecurity. A reassurance to end all of his worries.

_You don't have to pretend anymore._

He doesn't.

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**The title is taken straight from Michael Bublé's "Feeling Good," so I don't feel a need to elaborate further.**

**I wrote this because Magolor had to keep up this act of friendship for a long time. I'm sure a part of him was glad that he got to let go, even for a little bit.**

**I always wondered why Magolor was popular since he has a similar story to Marx, but then again, I don't exactly keep track of the popularity of villain characters. Although, while no one asked... Susie is my favorite out of the newest games.**

**See you next time, eggs!**


	10. the nowhere of pink

**Chapter Summary: Shadow Kirby thinks about the color pink.**

**IMPORTANT: This story will be on hiatus until the end of May at most due to a lack of free time. Apologies for the wait!**

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Pink.

Shadow Kirby thinks about it a lot—perhaps too much—but it's always existed in the Mirror World. The color itself is simply something that's been catching his eye.

Pink is the drooping flowers, a Leap's sticky lips. It colors the plumpness of a Bronto Burt and the heart-shaped arrowhead of a Cupie. And of course, no one can forget the pink of his other half, the original. Kirby's different, his shadow knows well—rosy shades absent from his own form.

Shadow Kirby looks at his mirror self and ponders.

Would things be different if he were pink too?

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**The title is based off of... Well, actually nothing. It's paralleling the first drabble's title though! Oh, look at how far we've come...**

**When I refer to Shadow Kirby, I don't mean the one that appeared in Triple Deluxe but the one in Amazing Mirror. I actually consider them as separate characters, and I call the one from Triple Deluxe "Parallel Kirby."**

**Shadow Kirby is undoubtedly one of my favorite Kirby characters. Even if it was for a moment, I was super happy to see Shadow Kirby in KSA. If only he was a playable character... I need to see him with a bigger role sooner or later.**

**See you next time, shadows!**


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